Say it out loud, by Melissa Henderson

​Travelling to Sweden ? You will be able to see

Say It Out Loud! a monument by  Melissa Henderson, 2015, 6 m x 0.35 m, steel, paint, gravel, grass

Say It Out Loud! 

by Melissa Henderson
Open ART 2015 

Örebro, Sweden
14 June - 6 September

Say It Out Loud! is a monument for the open society, the multiplicity of voices, the power and importance of words and art for democracy. 5 enlargements of pens are erected at Olof Palme's square outside the city library in Örebro, Sweden. The square is an architectural in-between space between buildings and people and the first forms of democracy used it as a meeting place. In numerous squares around the world are monuments of power, kings and warlords. Instead of representing power Say It Out Loud! are pillars of the shared. Perhaps one can claim that how rich and free the art and cultural life of a country is, is a measurement of how healthy and civilized it is. Lately in Sweden, threats have been made towards individuals who have expressed themselves publicly and this reminds us of how fragile the democratic structure is. It is through continued defence of the ideals of an open society we can protect democracy. It should not be dangerous to make one's voice heard, to investigate our complex world, question ethics and ideals, express that which makes us similar and different, so Say It Out Loud!